Feeding device for furnaces.



, J; HARRINGTON; FEEDING DEVICE FOR FU RNAGES.

'APPLIOATiON'II LED MAR. 7, 1912..

l2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Oct. 14,1913.

J. HARRINGTON. FEEDING DEVICE FOR FURNACES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7 1912.

1,075,352, Patented Oct. 14, 1918.

. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 5

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Be it known that L'JosnrH l-lnuiuno'ron a eitizen of the United States, and a; resident of Riverside, in-- the"county of Cook State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Fee'dm .De-- f vicesfor Fnrnaees; and l (lo-hereby eclare j that thefollowing isa-full, clear, andiexact.

description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which 7 form a partof thisspecific'ation.

'lhis' invention relates to improvements in antomatie feeding devices forsteam boiler or p I at its endsin theside 1 plates 5, .3,.to-wh1ch other furnaces, and more especially to improvements 1n the mechanism, embracing a horizontally reciprocating pusher, used 1n cpnnection with the feed hopper'of such a feeding. device, for advancing the coal fronr the bottom of the hopper toward and through the feed opening of the furnace.

The invention consists of the matters hereinaftefi described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings: Figure 1 1s a View in central vertical section of the lower .part of the feed hopper of the furnace, the

' 5 parts forming,thefeedopening'of the furnace and the pusher mechanism, Fig. 2 is a like vertical section taken upon line 22 of Fig: h Fig. 3 is a like sect-ion taken upon line 3 elevation of the lower part of the feed hoppet and the pushengmechan sm associated therewith.- Fig..-:5 i s-ia horizontal: section taken upon line 5-51Qf Fig.1,sli0wing the reciproeatingpusher'in plan view." Fig. ,6

is a detail sectiontakeri upon line (i -60f Fig. 1. Fig; 7 isja detail view of one of the pusher sections as seen from beneath Fig." 8 is'adetail View from beneath,- of one end of the beam member o'f the pusher..- Fig. 9 is a assa s-Ian .view of. one of the brackets 'whichisup'ort beam member of the pusher.

n sc'shown in; said drawings, 5, 5, indicate the 'WQtiQal-F side or frame plates located at.

the}v front-of ieifurnace, which form the feedhoppet whicheitends between the side plates-5, I v Tindicatesf an Ibsh'aped, horizontal, trans- Spe'bificat'iofi-of Letters Patent, nlp neatio filed march 7', i912. Serial no. 62',=1'59.

3 of Fig. 4; Fig-1'4: is a view in front Patefltedflct. 14,1913.

verse member also extending between said lates 5, 5, and forming the rear: wall of the feed hopper and the top wall of-the' feed opening orj throat of the furnace.

8-li'ndicates a horizontal fixed beam,= extending between the side plates 5, 5' below the' level of the feed opening of the furnace and towhich is attached a series of cast metal sections 9, 9, 9, which together con: stitute the horizontal bottom wall -of the feed opening or feed plate-over which the fuel is moved in passing from the bottom of the hopper into the furnace.-

10 indicates a transverse shaft, supported is attached a series 0 inclined plates 11,- which together form an inclined surface over which the fuel moves or slides when d-elivered from the innenedge of the feed plate formed by thesections. 9,9, 9.

. 12 indicates a transversely arranged, horizontal beam extending between side walls 5, 5, forward of the lower edge of the front wall 6 off the hop er. Said beam forms a part (Jr member o the pusher, and, in the operation of'the' Pusher, has backward and forward, horizontal, reci'pro'catory movement.

13, 13, 13 indicate diate pusher sections and 14, 14, two end pusher sections, which,- together with the beam 12 constitute the pusher as a whole,

Y The beam 12 is given horizontal, reciprooatory movement through suitable astuating devices connectedpreferably with the ends of said beam, and the several interme diate pusher sections 13, 13,- 13 are connected with said beam by means. affording lost mo a plurality of interme- The forward tion between the beam and said pusher scctions and also affording adjustment of the extent of such lost motion separately in the case of each'of said sections. The end pusher sections 14, 14, are shown. as being attached tot-he ends of the beam 1:2, in fixed relation thereto. Now referring to the details of construction illustrated in these parts, said beam 12 is shown as consisting of a channel-beam having a horizontal web at its top and depending stiffening flanges at its, front and rear edges. The said beam 12 is also shown as being stiffened or.

strengthened againstvertical strains by a stiffening girder 15 secured to the central part of its web and depending therefrom. The end pusher sections 14, 14, as clearly seen in Fig. 1, are provided with recesses or seats in their under surfaces, to receive the ends of the beam, which latter is held or clamped to the end sections by means of setscrews 16. Secured to each end of the said beam 12 is a horizontally arranged trackplate 17, provided with two parallel downwardly facing bearing surfaces or tracks 18, 18 arranged parallel with and inside of the vertical plate 5, as clearly seen in the detail view, Fig. 8 and in the sectional view Fig. 6. To the inner face of said plate 5 below .the end of the beam 12 is secured a bracket is provided with a series of gear teeth 23,

intermeshing with similarly arranged gear teeth 24 and 25 on the track plate 17 and the bracket 19. By the construction described in the supporting means for the ends of the beams 12, the weight of said' beam is supported by the bearing'rollers, so that it may be moved forward and backward with a minimum of frictional resistance to such movement, while the said rollers are retained in place by the engagement of the gear teeth thereon with those on the plate 17 and bracket 19.

In the inner face of each vertical side plate 5, adjacent to the outer end of the track-plate 17, is formed a horizontal guide groove 27 (Fig. 6) and on thesaid outer end of the track-plate is formed an outwardly extending horizontal guide-flange 28, which enters and slides in said grooves 27. Said guide-flange tits loosely in the guide groove so that the weight of the. beam 12 may rest upon and be carried solely by the roller 22; the said groove and guideflange serving to hold the beam from tipping or tilting out of its horizontal position.

The means illustrated for actuating the pusher consists of a horizontal rock-shaft 30 extending across the front of the furnace and having bearings in brackets .31 on the walls 5, 5, together with upwardly extending crank-arms 32, 32, rigidly secured to said rock-shaft, and links 33, 33, connecting the upper ends of said arms with the end pusher sections 14, 14. As shown, said end pusher sections are provided with integral, outwardly extending lugs 34, 34, between which the inner ends of the links 33 are inserted and with which they are connected by pivot pins 35, 35.

Now referring to the details of construe-- tion in the several pusher-sections 13, 13, each of said sections (Figs. 2 and 7) is made as follows: Each pusher-section .is recessed on its under surface to receive the beam 12 and has the form of a horizontal top wall provided with front or inner andrear or outer depending flanges; the front flange forming the vertical face of the section which acts on the coal in the feeding operation, and having sliding contact at its bottom edge with the feed plate. Said'top wall is provided on its outer or rear part with two depending, horizontal projections or flanges having downwardly facing bearing surfaces 38, 38 (Fig. 7 adapted for sliding contact with the top surface of the beam 12. At the outer ends of said bearing surfaces 38, 38, the pusher-section is provided with two upright ribs 39, 39, forming stops for contact with the outer edge of. the beam 12 and against which said beam acts in its outward movement to retract or draw rearwardly the pusher-section. Mounted at its ends in the front and-rear walls or flanges of the pusher-.

section is a horizontal screw-shaft 40 which projects through the rear or outer wall of the section and is provided with a squared end to which a wrench may be applied for rotating the screw-shaft. Said screw-shaft is located above the top of the beam 12, and passes through and has screw-threaded engageinent with a block 41, which has sliding engagement with an adjacent surface of the section, in such manner that the block is held from rotation, but is adapted to be shifted or adjusted on the section in a direction toward or from the ribs or stops 39, 39. As shown, the block 41 has a flat top surface in sliding contact with the downwardly facing horizontal surface of the top wall of the section above the same, and the lower part of the block projects downwardly below the screw-shaft in position for engagement with spaced at such distance from the stops 39,

. gem-sea 39', as to give the degree'of lost me} will be advanced by the :iGtlOIl-IQ "suchsection between pusher section and we beam. By turningthe shaft 40', said block may be shifted or adjustedto give any de' i gree of lost motion, that may be found desira ble, between the beam 12 and the pusher-j section? As clearly seen in Figs. 6 and 7;"theadjace'nt or meeting margins of the horizontal top walls of the pusher-section are provided. with overlapping horizontal fianges l t, 44;

At the side margins of their uprightqinner'.

walls oteach pusher-section, the latter is provided withwertical, outwardly extending" flange's 45, i-5'(I igs. 2 and 7). adapted for sliding contact with the like flanges on the adjacent pusher-sections so as to form a close jointor connection between the inner end-of each pusher-section and thatch either side of the same, in all positions ofthe pushersections relatively to the beam 12;

The advantages gained from the general features of construction-- above described, will be understood from the following: In the operation ofjui'naces having automatic stokin'g mechanisnaitis necessary forthe best or most suc'cessful. operation ofthe" 7 same that the'fuel should be fed? intoor"delivered through the'ffeed opening of the furnace in a; layer which is of: uniform thickness from side to side ofthe furnace. It is found in practice that the use of feed-device's; having a'hopp'ef and-areciprocating pusher, as heretofore made, especially where the fur-'- nace' is of ,considerableior. great width, that; the delivery of the coal from. the hopp'erto' the feed opening will not be efiected unibut that a greater quantity of coal-maybe fed forward at each advance movement-ofthe pusher in one part ofthe len' hof the latter than in another part, and t is difierence in the quantity of the difi'erent parts of the fuel layer-entering over the feed plate.

Such variationin the feed of the'fuel arises principally from difierences in the'charazcterof the coal. used, and the freedom with'whi'chv it will fiow'oi descend through and from the shown in the accompanying drawings is one a hopper. As, for instance;-ooa1 consisting of lumpsof uniform size will be fed more uniformly than that which contains considerable slack and lum sni varying sizes In the use of the pusher mechanism-made as described, if it be found" that the fuel is being fed irregularly as, for instance, in a larger quantity at the middle part of the pusher and in a smaller quantity at the ends of the same, one or more of the pusher sections, at the placewhere the feed is too great, will be 50' adjusted so that the front that; (a (mi tion or sections, inthe iorward stroke of thef- .pushei; It-willbe' understood; that as all oi the pusher sectionswill be retracted at the end of, such-backward movement-of the actuating beam, so thattlieif iront or.

pushing facesfwfli stand in 'line-witn each other at that time, a. uniiormr-maairnnmo ening will he a'fiprded for the eso pnig of thecoal in front of the pusher, -thifon'gh outthe entire length of the same? An adjustment of the 'such as, is-abov'e reterredgto, is shown Fig. 5', wherein the sections a r'ewshown in" them when he the position occupied b pusher is making it a "anceistroke; and; the parts are-so adjusted as to-give a-maxi-r; "mum degree-of lost motion in -the pusher" sections at the middle part of theusher and a gradually 'les'seningdegree 'o such lost motion from theentertoward the: ends of the pusher; as required when it"is 'de-f sired to. give enerally a lessend jieeisl at =the centera's comparedthe-ends ofitheifi' usher. Manifescl by adjustin the aegree of lost motion between-"any one of the usher-sections and the beam, or by variabl adj-ustingthe'amount of lost motion between several of the'pusher sections and, theibeam, the feed of thefueFm'ay-be controlledat difierent parts of the length of} the pusher,

so as" to give exactly the amount. ofjeed required at different parts of the'feed opts- ;ing, in order-tomaintain a uniform-thickjnesslin thelaye'r of the fuel delivered to the --f|irnac'e. firmly-throughout the length of the pusher,-

fsuppor't for-the ends of the" pusher 'beam' "affords important advanta es, for-the rea- :s'on' that sa'id beamis sub e'ct to a consid-" era'ble load, due to the weight of the pusher sections and of the coal'inthe hopper, and the saidf-roll'er-s'upports: enable the pusher-- The -constrnctiondescribed inth'e roller- 'beam',to' be easily and smoothly moved or reciprocated, notwithstanding the weight carried by said beam.

The ,particular form of my invention.

which .I have found well adapted for prac- 'tical use .but the same may be variously iio tions arranged in laterally abutting relation a on flange and a rear stop, each of said sections" embracing said beam between the said frontsaid beam and provided with a front flange and rear stop andhaving sliding con tact therewith, and means associated with each of said pusher sections, adapted to afford a variable degree of lost motion between thesection and the beam'during the forward movement of the'latten 2. In a furnace, the combinationof a re-' tween the section and'thebeam during the forward movement of the'latter;

In a furnace,-the combination with a feed plate, of a reciprocating beam. located adjacent to said feed plate within the furnace, a plurality of pusher sections arranged in laterally abutting relation along said beam andsupported in sliding engagement .'upon .said beam, each of said sections embracing a horizontal top wall, having a downwardly facing. bearing surface in con-- tact with said beam,-a vertical front flange in slidin contact with saidfeed plate and a stop a aptedto engage the rear margin of the" beam, and J adjustable means associated with each of said pusher sections zadapted-to afford a variable degree of lost 'motion between the sections and the beam during the forward movement of the latter.

4. In a furnace, the combination of a re- .ciprocating beam, a plurality of-pusher sections arranged in laterally abutting relationalong'said beam, each 'of said pusher sections embracing a horizontal top wall, a

vertical front flange, a stop adapted to engage therear margin of the beam, and lon- -giitndinal ribs extending downwardly from .said top wall, adapted'to have sliding engagement with said beam, and adjustable means adapted to afford lost motion between thejsection and the beam during the forward said beam, and means associated with eachv movement-of said beam,

1-5:; Inafurnace the combination of 5a tion along said beam, each of ,said sections beingrprovided with a downwardl depend ing front flange and a rear stop, ri s extenda ing longitudinallybetween said front flange and rear stop and in sliding engagement with of said-sections adapted to afford a variable degree ofj lost motion between the section and'the beam during the-forward movement of saidgbeam. 1

6.-- In"""a Lflllllace; the, combination with a.

feedplat'e, reciprocating beam, a plurality ofipusher i sections arranged in lat- -erally abutting "relation along said beam,

each =of s aid' sections embracing, a longi-" tudinal top wall having a downwardly facing bearingzsurface in sliding contact with sliding engagement-with said feed plate, .and a stop adapted to engagethe rear margin of said beam, a'rshaft extending longitsaid beam, a vertical front flange having 'tudinally of each -of saidsection's beneath its top wall, an adjustable stop mounted on 1 said shaft. and having screw-threaded en-' gagement therewith, said'stop being adapted for contact with said beam during its for ward movement to afford a variable degree of lost motion between saidsection and said beam.

7. In a furnace, the combination of a re- Q ciprocating beam, aplurality of pusher sec-- 'tions arranged in laterall abutting relation ja'long saidbeam, each 0 said sections embracing atlongitudinal top wall having a Jdownwardly facingbearing surface in con- :tact'with said beam,a vertical front flange ;and a stop adapted to engage the rear margin ofrthe beam, a. rotative shaft having bearing in said front flange, anon-rotatable stop mounted upon-said shaft and having iscrew-threaded engagement therewith, said stop being adapted. to afford a variable degree of lostmotion between the section and the beam during the forward movement of the latter. I v p i 8. In a furnace, the combination with a 'feed plate, of a reciprocating beam, a plurality of pusher sections arranged in abut- :ting relation along said beam, each of said 'SGOtlOI'lS comprising a horizontal top wall,

a vertical front flange and a stop adapted to engage the rear margin of said beam, and longitudinal ribs. extending, downwardly fromthe under surface of said top wall, said front wall having. sliding engagement with ,said feed, plate and said ribs bearing upon andhavin'g sliding engagement with said 'be'a-m,a' shaft extending longitudinally of the section between said ribs, and a block having screw-threaded engagement with said shaft and adapted for engagement with said .beam during the forward stroke'of the flatter.

reciprocating beam,-a pluralit of, pusher sections arranged in laterally a utting;-rela-,-

'9." In a furnace, the combination witha ffeed hopper" and a feed plate, of a reciprocating am, having an upwardly facing surface, a plurality of :pusher sections-having sliding. connection therewith, each of said'sections comprising a horizontal top wall, a depending flange at its forward end ada'pflted'to bear upon said feed plate and to have sliding engagement therewith, ribs having jdownwardly facing bearing sur-" faces depending from said top wall, adapted upon said shaft and adapted for contact with said'beam during the forward move tending through the rearward flange and having bearing in the forward-flange, and

erally abutting. relation along said beam,

each of said sections embracing a horizontal top wall, forward and vrear flanges and longitudinal ribs depending from said top wall and extending between said flanges, said forward flange having sliding engagement with said feed plate, and said ribs having sliding engagement with said beam, a screw shaft extending longitudinally of each section between said ribs and having bearing at its ends in the front and rear flanges, and an adjustable stop mounted ment of the same to afford a variable degree of lost motion between the pusher section and said beam.

11. In'a furnace, the combination with a feed plate, of a reciprocating pusher beam, a plurality of pusher sections mounted side by side along said beam, each of said sec-' tions embracing. a horizontal top' wall, forward and rear flanges and longitudinal ribs extending between said flanges, said forward flange'having sliding engagement with the feed plate, and said ribs having sliding engagement with said beam, a rotative shaft extending through said rear flange and having bearing in said forward flange,

a non-rotatable. stop mounted upon said shaft and having screw-threaded engagement therewith, said stop being adapted to afford a variable degreeiof lost motion between the section and the beam during the gins, said sections comprising end sections rigidly secured to said beam and mtermediate sections, said intermediate sections having sliding engagement withsaid beam and being provided with means affording varying degrees of lost motion between said intermediate sections and said beam during vthe forward movement of the latter.

13. In a furnace, the combination with a feed plate, of a'reciprocating beam located adjacent to said feed plate, a plurality of pusher sections mounted in laterally abutting relation along said beam and bearing upon and in sliding engagement with said feed plateat their forward margins, the end sections being rigidily secured to said beam and the intermediate sections being mounted said intermediate sections adapted to aflord a varying degree of lost motion between said sections and said beam during the forward movement of the beam.

14. In a'furnace, the combination of. a feed hopper and a feed'plat'e, of a reciproeating pusher beam, extending transversely of the furnace, and pusher sections secured to the ends of said beam, each-of said sections being provided with a lug extending outwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a rock shaft provided with tworocking arms, links pivotally connected with the lugs in said endsections and with said arms, and a plurality of intermediate pusher sections disposed along said beam between said end pusher sections, each of said intermediate pusher sections being provided with means adapted to afford a variable degree of lost motion between the same and the recipro-. eating beam during the forward movement of said beam.

' In testimony, that I claimthe foregoing as my invention 'I affix. my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of March A. D. 1912.

JOSEPH HARRINGTON. Witnesses:

MYRTLE E. HAMLIN, J. M. HARNIT; 

